Last week I ventured out on my bicycle with some Dutch friends. I mention this because they are cycling a lot and they are also very long legged creatures. Anyway it was really pleasurable to be cycling along the Nivernais canal towards Corbigny from Chatillon en Bazois. We got as far as the 16 locks and as Eric and Wilma cycled down to the bottom of the flight of locks I took pictures of an intriguing lock keepers cottage with all manner of interesting things to look at including large ammonites and little assemblages of things.

There was a lot of rain last night the canal seems quite full the distant house is a lockkeepers cottage. The cottages are known for housing a community of eccentrics and artists near Corbigny. Here we are about 5 kilometres away.

This section of the canal was down in a huge cutting that was tunnelled underground. 

Flat tarmacked cycle paths where even I managed 40kms. There were occasional cars visiting the cottages or fishermen.

A lockkeepers cottage near Mont et Marré

Arriving back to Chatillon en Bazois.

This is Tilley Printing Ledbury, a lovely old print workshop that still uses traditional ways to produce business cards, leaflets posters all manner of things. Martin Clarke has been here for many years and the workshop has been here even longer. It's a gem full of fonts of all kinds and producing all manner of printed things. I called on him when I wanted cards for myself. He has been joined by Annelise more recently and I know she has re-energised the place. I've noticed. They have a blog too. Here